Pedestrian Accidents

Maryland Auto Accident News: Efforts in Washington, D.C., May Improve Traffic Safety of Pedestrians, Cyclists

April 27, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’ve stated in this space before that Maryland’s pedestrians and bicyclists are typically put in dangerous circumstances when crossing roadways in major metropolitan areas such as Frederick, the District, Bowie and Hagerstown. Given the densely populated nature of our state and surrounding cities and towns, it should come as no surprise that persons on foot or cycling tend to be hit by cars and delivery trucks more often than people in other states.

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, we frequently read of innocent victims being killed or maimed by vehicular traffic across our state. Similarly, pedestrians in the Washington, D.C., areas are no strangers to traffic collisions, many of which can cause serious injuries including broken arms and legs, cuts and deep lacerations, internal bleeding and closed head trauma.

What’s heartening is that more and more people are waking up to the inherent dangers that confront citizens on a daily basis. According to a news article, a campaign was initiated not long ago that seeks to protect pedestrians and cyclists from automobile and trucking-related accidents in D.C. We can certainly hope that such an effort will also net positive results here in Baltimore and elsewhere across the state.

The statistics are staggering. As reported, on average three people every day are hit by a car or commercial truck in our nation’s capital. Also alarming is that more than 80 pedestrians and bicycle riders were killed in car-pedestrian traffic collisions on D.C., Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland roads during 2010. A sobering thought the next time you find yourself crossing the street in this part of the country.

The campaign now afoot to help protect pedestrians and bicycle riders is apparently in reaction to the distressing rise in pedestrian accidents. According to news articles, the total number of bicyclists and walkers who where hit by motor vehicles in 2010 was up by a shocking 25 percent over 2009 figures.

Maryland Pedestrian Accident News: LaPlata Man Killed in Fatal Charles County Hit-and-Run Collision

April 22, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

If it seems that there have been a lot of auto-pedestrian traffic accidents these days, you wouldn’t be wrong. And for anyone living in Baltimore, Annapolis, the District or Rockville, it should come as no surprise at all that our city streets are veritable killing fields when it comes to persons on foot or riding bicycles. This is only a guess, but these serious and sometimes deadly pedestrian collisions are only going to get worse before people really sit up and take notice.

As Maryland automobile and trucking accident attorneys, we’re continually dismayed by the number of fatal and near-fatal car, truck and motorcycle accidents in this state. Folks hurt or killed while traveling on foot have sadly become just another column in the sad tally of traffic wrecks across Maryland. A smaller, but no less important group, would be those individuals struck by hit-and-run drivers.

Scanning the various news sources recently, we saw an article detailing yet another in a string of these hit-and-run accidents that have killed another of Maryland’s residents. This particular incident took place in Charles County, where a 57-year-old LaPlata man lost his life to an apparently thoughtless and negligent driver.

Baltimore Accident News: State Trooper Avoids Being Hit by Drunken Driver in Prince George’s County

April 18, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Roadside traffic accidents. If they can happen to a state trooper, you’d better believe the same can happen to any one of us. While police and emergency responders put their lives on the line when answering emergency calls following an automobile or commercial truck accident, it’s important to remember that the biggest threat they face is the other vehicles traveling past the scene of the collision.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we know how extensive a car-pedestrian traffic collision can be. The human body is no match for a 3000-pound sedan or minivan, not to mention a commercial delivery truck or city bus. That’s why many people hit by a motor vehicle end up either dying or being critically injured and facing months or even years of physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Concussions, closed-head injuries, spinal cord damage and broken bones are a few of the more serious injuries experienced by victims of pedestrian traffic accidents. As we mentioned above, police and fire department rescue personnel are exposed to these dangers on a fairly regular basis. Whether you live in Baltimore, Gaithersburg, Rockville or the District, pedestrian accidents are a common occurrence in this area.

According to a news article, one law enforcement officer narrowly escaped certain injury and possible death when he realized a vehicle was about to crash into him during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 95. Based on news accounts, a 27-year-old rookie trooper jumped over barrier to avoid being hit by an allegedly drunk driver who unexpectedly veered onto the shoulder and hit the officer’s cruiser.

Trooper Thaddeus Allen, who served two tours in Iraq as an Army infantryman, was on duty in the early morning hours of a Friday when the accident occurred. Taught that a police officer’s most dangerous enemy is the traffic on the road, Allen was with a field training officer, Trooper Elix Gerber, when the automobile crash took place.

According to reports, the driver who nearly hit Allen was 27-year-old Scott Schawrtz from Baltimore who was operating a Ford Taurus at a little after 1am when the collision happened.

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Maryland’s Pedestrians Not as Safe from Car Accidents Compared to Other States

April 9, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Car accidents take the lives of pedestrians and bicyclists all too frequently on Maryland roadways. Compared to accidents between passenger cars and commercial vehicles, a person on foot has little defense against a two-ton motor vehicle. Pedestrian accidents, a common occurrence in cities like Frederick, Rockville and Hagerstown, can result in broken bones, internal injuries and head trauma.

As Maryland injury lawyers, I and my colleagues have seen the heartbreaking results of a serious pedestrian-car crash. Sadly, Maryland cities may be some of the more dangerous metropolitan areas for persons on foot. As alluded to previously, occupants of passenger cars have much more protection available to them, which can make a big difference in cases of collisions with larger motor vehicles.

When it comes to pedestrian safety, one Maryland columnist feels that Vegas is a better bet than most any city in this state. Based on an article in the Baltimore Sun, a visitor to “Sin City” saw that drivers out west may make more of an effort to give folks in crosswalks the right of way. On the flip side, jaywalkers are not tolerated in the gambling capital of the U.S. In fact, it’s rare to see a local resident crossing against a light, which may indicate how aggressively the local police enforce pedestrian traffic laws.

Maryland Auto Accident Update: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries can be Frustrating, Yet Also Amazing

March 31, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Bodily injuries suffered as a result of an automobile accident can range from minor cuts and bruises, to broken bones and closed-head injuries. The latter, also referred to as traumatic brain injuries, can spell serious trouble for victims of traffic collisions. Yet as scary as head trauma can be, the recovery can turn out to be quite amazing, according to some experts.

As a Baltimore car and truck accident lawyer and Maryland personal injury attorney, I and my colleagues have seen the aftermath of many car, truck and motorcycle wrecks, as well as the human toll. But as the story of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has shown, the road to recovery from traumatic brain injury can be just this side of miraculous.

While it’s surely too early to tell — according to medical professionals a patient’s progress in this area is best measured at the six- to 12-month mark following a closed-head injury — Ms. Giffords progress shows that there is hope for many people who have suffered serious trauma to the brain.

Mount Airy, Maryland, Man Found Not Guilty of Negligent Homicide in Fatal D.C. Pedestrian Accident

March 13, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A sad fact is that traffic accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles hardly ever turn out well for the person on foot. When a man or woman is walking across the street and is struck by the full force of a vehicle traveling 25mph or more, the physical injuries can be quite extensive and also quite fatal. Even if an individual is only knocked over, just hitting one’s head on a hard concrete or asphalt roadway can cause brain trauma and possibly death.

Fractures, broken bones and lacerations are just some of the serious injuries that can happen when a pedestrian is hit by a car, motorcycle or commercial delivery truck. Internal injuries, neck and spinal cord damage, not to mention traumatic head injuries are only a few of the conditions that can result from such a crash.

As Maryland auto accident lawyers and Washington, D.C. personal injury attorneys, we understand the extent of bodily harm that can come to a person in such violent traffic accidents. Still, when an individual is injured or killed by a motorist, it isn’t always easy to prove negligence on the part of the driver.

Last month a man was acquitted in the case of a fatal pedestrian accident that happened in the District last November. Following a Sunday fundraising walk, 76-year-old Richard Greenstein and his wife were headed back to their vehicle near Madison and 12th streets NW when they were struck by a motorist attempting to back into a parking space.

According to news reports, 35-year-old Kevin Bucy had left his wife and four kids back at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum, traveling on foot about a half hour to retrieve the family’s minivan so he could pick them up and spare them the 30-minute walk.

As Greenstein and his 73-year-old wife were stepping into a crosswalk on Madison Street, Bucy’s minivan hit them. As a result of the impact, Greenstein reportedly died from a skull fracture and severe brain injury, while his wife was only slightly injured. Based on news reports, Bucy was found not guilty of negligent homicide in a D.C. courtroom. Had he been convicted, he could have gone to jail for five years.

Maryland Mother and Children Hit, Severely Injured By Taxicab Driver Speeding on Suspended License

March 10, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The law requires passenger car drivers and commercial truckers, among others, to be properly licensed by the state. This is not just a way for Maryland and other states to create an income stream, it’s done to make public roads safe for all people. When a driver operates a motor vehicle on a suspended license, not only is he or she is breaking the law, that person could be endangering the safety of the road-going public.

The sad thing is that the same people who break the law and are punished by having their driver’s license suspended many times go right back driving illegally on the road. Every year, residents of Maryland and other states are injured or killed by people driving illegally on a suspended license, or no license at all.

As Baltimore car accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we have seen the outcome of terrible highway wrecks and serious automobile collisions caused by unlicensed and unfit drivers. Fatal traffic accidents occur every day, but those that are caused by another person’s negligence can result in a wrongful death lawsuit being filed against an individual.

Early Evening Pedestrian Traffic Accident Leaves Grandmother and Grandchild Injured in Rockville, Maryland

February 27, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Most every family with small children has experienced the fear of seeing their child injured by an automobile. As kids grow up, and depending on the proximity of the public roads in the neighborhood, the chances of a youngster running or riding their bike into the street increases as those children become more mobile and curious.

As parents and grandparents, our job becomes even more serious when we leave the confines of our homes to take the kids on walks and other family outings. The danger of a pedestrian accident involving a small child is ever present once we step outside. As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, we hear about traffic collisions that involve grownups and youngsters alike.

A while back, a news article talked about a grandmother and her young grandson were hurt in a pedestrian-car accident while crossing a street near home. This type of traffic accident can easily result in death, and so this story has somewhat of a happy ending. But many survivors of pedestrian or bicycle traffic accidents can be months or years away from a full recovery.

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Nephew of Tibet’s Dalai Lama Killed in Car-Pedestrian Accident

February 16, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Automobile-pedestrian accidents can happen to almost anyone on foot near vehicle traffic. Every year thousands of people are injured or killed all around the country by passenger cars, commercial delivery trucks and other motor vehicles. Being related to famous or well-known individuals apparently are not immune to the tragic results of a pedestrian traffic accidents.

Just yesterday the nephew of Tibet’s Dalai Lama was struck and killed in an out-of-state pedestrian accident. Such collisions can result in serious and, as in this case, fatal injuries such as broken bones, internal injuries and bleeding, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage.

As Maryland and Washington, D.C., personal injury attorneys, we know that even in incidents where a victim survives a deadly car, truck or motorcycle crash, there can be weeks or months of medical treatment, corrective surgeries and physical therapy needed to return the person back to something close to normal functioning. Sadly, only a lucky few escape such violent accidents with little or no medical complications.

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Rockville Car Wash Employee Killed when SUV Runs Man Over

February 8, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As we have said numerous times before, auto, truck and motorcycle accidents can happen almost anywhere, anytime. Car-pedestrian accidents while generally fewer can also occur randomly, although fatal crosswalk and bus stop accidents are probably the most common. But people have been hit by cars while standing on the sidewalk, walking through a parking lot or even while visiting a local business.

As a Maryland personal injury attorney, I fully understand the severity of such pedestrian accidents and how they can impact a family, not only in cases of tragic and fatal automobile wrecks, but also in terms of pedestrian-car injury accidents where the victim is left with multiple medical complications due as a result of another individual’s negligence.

Broken bones can be the least of one’s problems following a collision between a car or truck and a pedestrian. Spinal damage and brain trauma can cause long-term physical and cognitive issues, with loss of motor skills and trouble with memory that can make an independent and so-called normal life virtually impossible.